{"id":27572,"date":"2024-02-16T06:49:28","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T06:49:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/?p=27572"},"modified":"2024-02-16T06:49:30","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T06:49:30","slug":"upsc-mains-what-is-your-understanding-of-the-public-distribution-system-pds-can-you-discuss-the-limitations-regarding-public-procurement-and-the-steps-taken-by-the-government-to-improve-the-procu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/upsc-mains-what-is-your-understanding-of-the-public-distribution-system-pds-can-you-discuss-the-limitations-regarding-public-procurement-and-the-steps-taken-by-the-government-to-improve-the-procu\/","title":{"rendered":"UPSC Mains &#8211; What is your understanding of the Public Distribution System (PDS)? Can you discuss the limitations regarding public procurement and the steps taken by the government to improve the procurement system?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/refer-and-earn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-10-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-10-1.png 1280w, https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-10-1-1170x274.png 1170w, https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-10-1-585x137.png 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/refer-and-earn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Refer &amp; Earn NOW<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69cff70c06c74\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69cff70c06c74\"  \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/upsc-mains-what-is-your-understanding-of-the-public-distribution-system-pds-can-you-discuss-the-limitations-regarding-public-procurement-and-the-steps-taken-by-the-government-to-improve-the-procu\/#Introduction\" title=\"Introduction:\">Introduction:<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/upsc-mains-what-is-your-understanding-of-the-public-distribution-system-pds-can-you-discuss-the-limitations-regarding-public-procurement-and-the-steps-taken-by-the-government-to-improve-the-procu\/#Body\" title=\"Body:\">Body:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/upsc-mains-what-is-your-understanding-of-the-public-distribution-system-pds-can-you-discuss-the-limitations-regarding-public-procurement-and-the-steps-taken-by-the-government-to-improve-the-procu\/#Public_Distribution_System_PDS\" title=\"Public Distribution System (PDS):\">Public Distribution System (PDS):<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/upsc-mains-what-is-your-understanding-of-the-public-distribution-system-pds-can-you-discuss-the-limitations-regarding-public-procurement-and-the-steps-taken-by-the-government-to-improve-the-procu\/#Limitations_Regarding_Public_Procurement\" title=\"Limitations Regarding Public Procurement:\">Limitations Regarding Public Procurement:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/upsc-mains-what-is-your-understanding-of-the-public-distribution-system-pds-can-you-discuss-the-limitations-regarding-public-procurement-and-the-steps-taken-by-the-government-to-improve-the-procu\/#Government_Initiatives\" title=\"Government Initiatives:\">Government Initiatives:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/upsc-mains-what-is-your-understanding-of-the-public-distribution-system-pds-can-you-discuss-the-limitations-regarding-public-procurement-and-the-steps-taken-by-the-government-to-improve-the-procu\/#Way_Forward\" title=\"Way Forward:\">Way Forward:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/upsc-mains-what-is-your-understanding-of-the-public-distribution-system-pds-can-you-discuss-the-limitations-regarding-public-procurement-and-the-steps-taken-by-the-government-to-improve-the-procu\/#In_case_you_still_have_your_doubts_contact_us_on_9811333901\" title=\"In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.&nbsp;\">In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.&nbsp;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/upsc-mains-what-is-your-understanding-of-the-public-distribution-system-pds-can-you-discuss-the-limitations-regarding-public-procurement-and-the-steps-taken-by-the-government-to-improve-the-procu\/#Visit_our_YouTube_Channel_%E2%80%93_here\" title=\"Visit our YouTube Channel \u2013&nbsp;here\">Visit our YouTube Channel \u2013&nbsp;here<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction\"><\/span>Introduction: <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Indian Public Distribution System (PDS), launched in June 1947, is designed to distribute subsidized food and non-food items to the country&#8217;s impoverished population. The primary objective is to ensure affordable access to essential commodities and manage emergencies effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/dpRel8_fG82VM_BxOzaQ9n3YbV7Vpc3v4vbaFkbDCj0mkjF0Xq3YNQSujdQgYRTt6OKVHBa_RC3Wfgh9hUNXZOUYumaUlv3eFj-TlOoL1tHxF_0wo72qgeG9qjunRo96lDUAPSYz-0qwDh5jdPg6I9g\" width=\"371\" height=\"218\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 371px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 371\/218;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Body\"><\/span>Body:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Public_Distribution_System_PDS\"><\/span>Public Distribution System (PDS): <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The PDS was initiated to address food shortages by providing affordable rates for essential food grains. The Central government collaborates with state governments for the implementation of the PDS. <\/li><li>The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is responsible for procuring, storing, transporting, and distributing food grains to state governments.<\/li><li>Operational responsibilities, including resource allocation, determining eligible households, issuing ration cards, and monitoring Fair Price Shops (FPS), are managed by State Governments. States\/Union Territories (UTs) distribute wheat, rice, sugar, and kerosene under the PDS. <\/li><li>It supports poverty-alleviation programs and contributes to normalizing food prices for the underprivileged. The PDS holds a buffer stock of food grains to ensure the flow of food even during periods of lower agricultural output. <\/li><li>It aids in the redistribution of grains from surplus to deficit regions and enhances food grain output through minimum support prices and procurement systems.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Limitations_Regarding_Public_Procurement\"><\/span>Limitations Regarding Public Procurement:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Identification of Beneficiaries: <\/strong>The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is prone to significant inclusion\/exclusion errors, with estimates suggesting a 61% exclusion error and a 25% inclusion error.<\/li><li><strong>Leakage of Food Grains: <\/strong>TPDS faces substantial food grain leakages during transportation and black marketing, with a reported 36% leakage of PDS rice and wheat nationwide. <\/li><li><strong>Issue with Procurement: <\/strong>Open-ended procurement leads to market scarcity, accepting all grains even with a full buffer stock. <\/li><li><strong>Issues with Storage:<\/strong> Severe government storage capacity shortfalls, as revealed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit, raise concerns about rotting food grains.<\/li><li><strong>Impact of Minimum Support Price (MSP): <\/strong>MSP provisions drive farmers to shift from coarse grains to rice and wheat, hindering crop diversification.<\/li><li><strong>Environmental Concerns: <\/strong>Overemphasis on water-intensive crops for food grain self-sufficiency, particularly in states like Punjab and Haryana, raises environmental sustainability concerns.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Government_Initiatives\"><\/span>Government Initiatives:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Aadhaar-Linked Ration Cards:<\/strong> Enables online entry, verification, and tracking of monthly entitlements for efficient beneficiary data management.<\/li><li><strong>National Food Security Act (NFSA):<\/strong> Introduced individual entitlement of 5 kg per person per month food grains to around 82 crores of the population in 2013. <\/li><li><strong>Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY):<\/strong> Started in December 2000, provides heavily discounted food grains to the poorest of the poor. <\/li><li><strong>Computerized Fair Price Shops: <\/strong>Fair Price Shops automated with &#8216;Point of Sale&#8217; devices to authenticate beneficiaries and record subsidized grain quantities. <\/li><li><strong>Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): <\/strong>Cash transferred under DBT, replacing food grain subsidies, allowing beneficiaries to purchase from any market. <\/li><li><strong>GPS Technology for Transportation: <\/strong>GPS tracking for food grain transportation prevents diversion, ensuring secure movement from state depots to Fair Price Shops. <\/li><li><strong>SMS-Based Monitoring:<\/strong> Citizens can register for SMS alerts, facilitating monitoring during TPDS commodity dispatch and arrival. <\/li><li><strong>Web-Based Citizens\u2019 Portal: <\/strong>Web portal for public grievance redressal, including toll-free call centers for complaint registration and suggestions.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Way_Forward\"><\/span>Way Forward: <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The PDS, a crucial welfare initiative, can be strengthened through technological solutions, cautious DBT adoption, and capacity building. Prudent implementation and robust infrastructure are essential for the migration to cash transfer. Strengthening TPDS through capacity building, training, and leakage control, along with increased public engagement, enhances transparency. PDS can contribute to nutritional improvement by distributing bio-fortified foods, addressing prevalent malnutrition in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/upsc-essay?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Banner&amp;utm_campaign=Essay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/UPSC-Essay-Course-1280\u00d7300-1-3.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42688 lazyload\" width=\"781\" height=\"182\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 781px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 781\/182;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_case_you_still_have_your_doubts_contact_us_on_9811333901\"><\/span><strong>In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For UPSC Prelims Resources,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc-cse-prelims-resource-centre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Daily Updates and Study Material:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join our Telegram Channel \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/WithEdukemy4IAS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Edukemy for IAS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>1. Learn through Videos \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3vOD8sU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><li>2. Be Exam Ready by Practicing Daily MCQs \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Q9z2nF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><li>3. Daily Newsletter \u2013 Get all your Current Affairs Covered \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bE2y5J\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><li>4. Mains Answer Writing Practice \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3mZuVxl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Visit_our_YouTube_Channel_%E2%80%93_here\"><\/span>Visit our YouTube Channel \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@ShabbirsEduKemyforIAS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Indian Public Distribution System (PDS), launched in June 1947, is designed to distribute subsidized food and non-food items to the country&#8217;s impoverished<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":27561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1643],"tags":[232,515,230],"class_list":["post-27572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-upsc-mains","tag-upsc","tag-upsc-cse","tag-upsc-mains"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27572"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27575,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27572\/revisions\/27575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}